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8A Daily News – Saturday, January 21, 2012 Agriculture & farm On Tuesday morning, Jan. 17, Crain Walnut Orchard south of Ante- lope School was sparkling white with icicles as they sprayed water to save the young trees from freezing in the 18-20 degree tem- peratures in the hard freeze of over 12 hours. Heard on the radio that it was 8 below at Bogard Ranger station on Hwy 44, 6 below in Alturas, Adin had 4 below with a high of 22. It finally started raining Thursday morning. *** I am excited about the new online, http://www.redbluffdai- lynews.com/rodeo page, because it has news and results of rodeos. Among the PRCA News and Notes from the Rodeo Trail — There was mention of: The Tehama County Cattlemen's Association honored PRCA stock con- tractor John Growney as its Man of the Year Jan. 7 during the annual fundraising dinner in Red Bluff. As the owner/operator of Growney Brothers Rodeo Company, he was named PRCA Stock Con- tractor of the Year in 2000 and won the PRCA's Remuda Award in 2008 for having the best pen of bucking horses. TCCA Com- mittee member Jerry Hemsted described Growney as "an ambassador for Red Bluff wher- ever he goes, who has never forgotten the community he grew up in." Steer wrestler Stan Branco, who has just missed a spot in the Wrangler Courtesy photo In 2008, Antelope Creek Cattle Co., Red Bluff was the top team in the Jim Owens Memorial Ranch Rodeo. The team will be returning again in 2012, but their children will be older. Thelma Sue Owens presented the silver buckles to Dusty deBraga, Walt Brown and Lance Root as the children joined in the photo. 25. Building on the suc- cess of their first event last year, the committee put together a very smooth running, well-organized ranch rodeo that drew good crowds and hosted 25 teams in the seven event competition. "This year the event Jean National Finals Rodeo the last two seasons finishing 16th in both 2010 and 2011 suffered a broken right leg while playing dodge ball at his grandpar- ents place in Chowchilla on Christmas Day and will be out probably until Reno in June. *** Today at 6 p.m. is the finals of the 17th annual Jim Owens Memorial Ranch rodeo at Pauline Davis Pavilion with the 10 a.m. performance to select the top six teams. Cascade Cattleman, March 1997 report by Dennis Taylor. "The 2nd annual Red Bluff Ranch Rodeo was held Jan. 24- Barton was dedicated as a memo- rial to Jim Owens, one of the West Coast's most well-known and respected cattlemen. A long-time resi- dent of Tehama County, Jim passed away Sept. 10, 1996 at the age of 82. "All teams competed in the first round with the top six teams advanc- ing to the finals Saturday night. Throughout the seven events of the first round the lead continually changed hands, with almost every team in the lead at one time or anoth- er. At the end of the first round the Gill Cattle Co. team, Allen Gill, Jim Har- rison and Ronnye Garcia, held the top spot. "At the end of a fast- moving finals Saturday night the team from Spar- rowk Livestock, Rich Rice, Russ Bigelow and Jeff Sparrowk came out the big winners. "Several other special awards voted on by the contestants were also awarded. The 25 three- person teams consisted of January Classes Saturday 21st @10am Bare Root Fruit Tree Saturday 28th @10am Rose Pruning & Care Class Saturday, February 18th @10am Potato Class Please call to reserve a seat Red Bluff Garden Center 527-0886 766 Antelope Blvd. (Next to the Fairground) COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. 74 men and one lady. That one lady, Jody Johnson, Ft. Klamath, Ore., a mem- ber of the 2nd place Scat- tini-Schmidt team was voted as the all-around ranch hand. The award made ranch rodeo history as Jody was the first woman to be named all- around ranch hand. "Another award voted on by contestants is the all-around working cowhorse. This year the award went to Jim Harri- son‚s buckskin gelding. Jim is from Belle Vista and was a member of Gill Cattle Co. team which fin- ished in 3rd place. "Placings were: 1. Sparrowk Livestock, 2. Scattini-Schmidt, 3. Gill Cattle Co; 4. S.Pitchfork, 5. Double Bar X, 6. Ante- lope Creek Cattle Co." Jim Owens was the 1996 Tehama County Cat- tleman Man of the Year and his wife Thelma Sue Owens was honored as CowBelle of the Year. Lee Pitts called Jim a legend, and it is fitting to have the ranch rodeo named in memory of Jim Owens. "If you qualify as a stockman you no doubt recognize the name, 'Jimmy' was one of the last of the original Owens clan that ranged wherever cattle did. 'In his 'hay days' Jim Owens ran as many stock- er steers as anybody in America. I've heard as many as 35,000 head at one time but I never asked. Jim was of the old school where you never asked the man the size of his spread. "You never asked their age either. We celebrated Jim's 80th birthday a few years back but that was just an estimate. Jim did- n't measure time by years but by up and down cattle cycles and horses he'd known. "Whatever his age, Jim always stood tall. When you looked at him you knew immediately his profession. A cattleman from the bottom of his boots to the top of his sweat-stained hat. There was no mistaking him for an eight to five pencil pusher. "Here was a cattleman, with a sun pocked face, warped legs and calloused hands. Hardened not from patting himself on his own back but from digging his own fence posts. "Jim Owens had char- acter — and was one. I knew of no one like him, a handshake man who had seen it all — markets without bottom and green grass belly high to a horse. "But you couldn't tell the difference by Jim's demeanor. Always quiet and dignified and definite- ly not allergic to sweat. Jim's saddle blankets never got a chance to dry. "Jim went the way he should. He perished and fell off a horse in the mid- dle of a corral. I assure you, it was one of the few time in his life he fell off a horse. "I don't know whose cattle they were, if Jim was taking delivery or shipping his own. Either way Jim was no doubt outsmarting someone. If he was buying his passing no doubt delayed the weigh-up and he got a bet- ter 'shrink.' If he was sell- ing no doubt his departure postponed the truckers. Paybacks are heck. "Jim Owens never had to sell his saddle nor hang it from the rafters. In true cowboy fashion he got right back on and rode it beyond the great divide. In the end he went about the only place left he'd never run cattle before. And rest assured, dear friends, when he got there St. Peter got out of the truck to open the gate for Jim Owens." Lee Pitts, A Legend I Knew, Sept. 10, 1996 Jean Barton can be reached at jbarton@thesky- beam.com. ranch Remembering Jim Owens Cattlemen's president speaks out against attack Special to the DN Regarding last weekend's alleged animal rights group attack on Harris Ranch Feeding Company, Coalinga, Calif., CCA President Kevin Kester, a Cen- tral Coast rancher, released the following statement: "Members of the California Cattlemen's Association are deeply troubled by the violent and senseless attack on Harris Ranch. The callous statements released by those responsible for the attack reflects the radical views of terrorists that have no regard for the law or share the values of the majority of Americans. Harris Ranch is widely recognized as a beef industry leader in advocating for the humane treatment of animals and their operation is widely recognized and celebrated for their outstanding animal welfare practices. "In the days following the attack, I have received countless phone calls from ranchers and concerned cit- izens throughout the state who are horrified by this senseless violence and want to help bring those respon- sible to justice. In the coming days, CCA will be work- ing with Harris Ranch and law enforcement to setup a reward fund for any information leading to the prose- cution of the individuals responsible. "These types of senseless attacks are not only an attack on our nation's food system but an attack on the shared values of our nation. The outpouring of support that we have received for Harris Ranch is a testament to their highly respected position, not only in the beef industry but throughout the state, and that Californians do not support the radical views of these terrorists. "CCA will continue to support Harris Ranch and will release the details of the reward fund and how those interested can help in the near future. California's beef industry has a long-standing place in our state's history and these types of attacks only strengthen our industry's resolve to protect our rich ranching heritage for future generations." E.coli found in raw milk dairy's calf area FRESNO (AP) — California health offi- cials say samples col- lected from a Central California raw milk dairy's calf area tested positive for E. coli and two matched the bacte- ria strain that infected five children last year. In a letter to Organic Pastures made public on Friday, the California Department of Public Health said 10 of the environmental samples taken at the Fresno County dairy tested pos- itive for E.coli. Those samples were taken J. E. C. JIM ENGLAND CONCRETE & CONSTRUCTION Residential & Commercial 530-529-4495 945-8295 LIC. #682190 Community Clip? e-mail: clerk@red- bluffdailynews.com or Fax: 527-9251 from cow manure, water, soil and other surfaces. The letter also states that two of the samples had a genetic pattern indistinguishable from the outbreak strain. In November, Cali- fornia officials recalled and quarantined the dairy's raw milk prod- ucts after three Califor- nia children who drank Organic Pastures milk were hospitalized. But officials did not find E.coli in the com- pany's recalled prod- ucts.